Kidney Disease is a Common Problem Among Americans Living With Diabetes

Many healthcare providers warn their patients who have type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes to practice diligent diabetes management since proper blood sugar control has been thought to reduce the risk of diabetic kidney disease.

However, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicated that kidney problems in people with type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes have remained a prevalent issue despite diabetes medications that help control blood glucose levels, blood pressure and cholesterol.

The study's results showed that the number of people who are diagnosed with diabetic kidney disease has risen steadily with the increase in diabetes cases among Americans.

The researchers said that about 40 percent of individuals with type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes develop kidney disease.

Urine tests that detect the presence of proteins or kidney filtration screenings may indicate whether or not a diabetic is experiencing problems with this organ, the investigators explained.

"The results of our research don't suggest that standards of diabetes care for controlling blood sugar levels, high blood pressure, and cholesterol should be changed. What the findings suggest is that these treatments alone are not doing an effective job of reducing diabetic kidney disease, and researchers need to find additional ways to do that," said lead researcher Ian H. de Boer.

Individuals who develop chronic kidney failure may be treated with dialysis, which involves a machine that helps filter waste out of the blood the way a healthy kidney would naturally, or they may undergo a transplant surgery.

The National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse states that people with type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes typically experience kidney failure after they have lived with diabetes for more than 15 years.